What Are the Mavs’ Chances of Getting Zion Williamson?

Last year, in a deal to get Luka Doncic, my Slovenian son, the Mavs sent the Atlanta Hawks their 2019 first round pick — if it falls outside of the top four. They would have had better odds of that happening if not for a few unexpected wins toward the end of the season, but whatever. It’s fine. As it stands, they have about a one in four shot (I think it’s 26 percent) of landing in the top four and keeping that pick. If they don’t, Luka was worth it, so again, it’s fine. [Stephen A. Smith scream-voice] BUT.

I don’t really care about the Mavs picking second or third or fourth, or not until the second round. What I do care about is the guy at No. 1, Zion Williamson, who is like a young Charles Barkley mixed with a pre-1998-lockout-so-not-fat-yet Shawn Kemp with the potential — untapped at Duke — to be something like a point center?

Roughly the same as me getting one of the good parking spaces downtown if I show up at 8:58. About my success rate on the Nike SNKRS app over the last three years. The same odds that I’ll blindly reach into my closet of black t-shirts and grab the one that my girlfriend ironed a dolphin patch onto and, no, I am not explaining any of that. The same ratio, essentially, of Kristaps Porzingis’ drama-free to drama-heavy months.

In other words: decent. Not out of the realm of possibility. Let’s all cross everything we can.